Executive Coaching – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1128

Executive Coaching – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1128

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1128 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com  for publishing your contributions here.

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Credit: Timur Weber

Preamble

In this blog post, we explore executive coaching, its purpose, the expectations from an executive coach, and the deeper questions surrounding whether a coach should provide answers or ask more questions.

Executive Coaching: Answers, Questions, or Both?

In today’s fast-paced, competitive, and often volatile business world, leadership roles come with relentless demands. Executives are expected to deliver results, drive innovation, manage people, and navigate complex markets, all while maintaining composure and clarity.

This is where executive coaching comes in.

Executive coaching is talked about in corporate circles, much less in Pakistan, but very common in the developed countries. What exactly does it mean? What does an executive coach really do? Should you expect them to provide solutions — or ask tough questions instead?

Let’s discuss these ideas.

What Is Executive Coaching?

At its core, executive coaching is a collaborative, goal-oriented, and confidential process in which an executive works with a trained coach to:

o Develop leadership skills

o Enhance self-awareness

o Improve decision-making

o Clarify professional or organizational goals

o Overcome specific challenges

Unlike training, which is often instructional, coaching is more personalized and reflective. It’s not about downloading information; it’s about unlocking potential.

The executive coach isn’t there to “fix” the executive — rather, they serve as a sounding board, guide, and accountability partner.

What Is Expected from an Executive Coach?

Organizations and individuals expect a coach to:

1. Facilitate Self-Discovery: Help the executive recognize blind spots, unhelpful habits, and inner strengths.

2. Offer Objective Feedback: Provide unbiased, non-judgmental observations that internal colleagues often can’t offer.

3. Enhance Clarity: Help the leader articulate their goals, challenges, and opportunities with precision.

4. Develop Action Plans: Support the creation of structured, achievable strategies to improve performance and effectiveness.

5. Hold Accountability: Ensure follow-through on commitments made during the coaching process.

Will an Executive Coach Have All the Answers?

Here’s where misconceptions often arise.

Many people wrongly assume that executive coaches are supposed to be industry experts, problem-solvers who deliver ready-made solutions, or advisors who direct you step by step.

This expectation can set up disappointment.

In truth, a great executive coach may not have all the answers — and they aren’t supposed to. Their main strength lies in helping you find your own answers.

The best coaches bring:

o Sharp questioning techniques

o Deep listening skills

o A toolbox of reflective models and frameworks

o Emotional intelligence and psychological insight

They may not know your industry as well as you do — but they know how to help you think differently about it.

Should Coaches Provide Answers or Raise More Questions?

This is a common debate in coaching circles.

The Power of Questions

The traditional and widely respected approach in executive coaching is question-based coaching. The belief here is:

You (the executive) already possess most of the necessary knowledge and wisdom.

The coach’s job is to challenge your thinking, push you out of your comfort zone, and guide you toward your own insights.

By asking the right questions, the coach:

 Uncovers hidden assumptions

 Clarifies priorities

 Reveals options you might not have considered

 Builds self-reliance and stronger decision-making

This approach strengthens your long-term leadership capability because you’re not dependent on the coach for answers — you develop the skill of better thinking.

Typical questions might include:

 What’s the real issue here?

 What assumptions are you making?

 What would success look like?

 What’s holding you back?

 What’s the worst that could happen if you take this step?

When Guidance is Helpful

That said, coaching isn’t always about only asking questions. There are situations where it’s appropriate — even necessary — for the coach to offer perspectives or advice:

When the executive explicitly asks for it.

When the coach has specialized expertise relevant to the situation (e.g., change management, conflict resolution, leadership transitions).

When the executive is stuck and needs direction to move forward.

However, even in these cases, a skilled coach shares suggestions with caution:

They present ideas as options, not prescriptions.

They avoid imposing their views.

They encourage the executive to reflect on whether the advice suits their unique context.

Many seasoned coaches describe their role as “switching hats” — primarily coaching (asking questions) but occasionally stepping into mentoring (offering suggestions) when clearly appropriate.

The Balance: Inquiry vs. Insight

The key is balance. Too many questions without any direction can frustrate a coachee and create circular conversations.

Too much advice risks making the coachee dependent or defensive.

Effective coaches carefully calibrate: When to ask, when to suggest, when to challenge, and when to simply listen.

This subtlety is what differentiates great coaching from superficial conversations.

Directive Coaching is more advice-driven, often used for performance issues or skill development.

Non-Directive Coaching is primarily reflective and question-based, focusing on self-generated solutions.

Many skilled coaches blend both, depending on the executive’s needs.

Executive Coaching in Pakistan

As far as I know, executive coaching as a trade, does not exist in Pakistan. While we see and hear about corporate trainers, we do not know any executive coach who is offering services to executives. I do know that there are few people here and there who are doing this work. 

It is not that Pakistani executives do not need coaching; probably they need it even more than their counterparts in the developed world, where executive coaching has a long, brilliant tradition. For example, Marshall Goldsmith is the most well-known executive coach who has written several books, and who also created 100 Coaches group during COVID-19. He is among the most influential in this area.

In Pakistan, we have gradually drifted so far away from knowledge, learning, academics, writing, and reading, that it has become difficult to bridge the gap. Teachers at the business schools have hardly anything to their credit; they have no hands-on experience of business, they do not research, they do not write, they do not even consult because they cannot. 

Our executives are not mentored by anyone. They are left on their own to float or drown. The only expectation from them is the results, no matter how they bring it. This has created an army of senior managers who are more an executioner rather than an executive.

Sum Up

In truth, executive coaching is not meant to provide quick fixes or instant answers. Instead, it’s about creating a safe, focused space where leaders can:

Think deeply

Explore difficult questions

Confront their own assumptions

Grow both professionally and personally

The coach’s ultimate gift isn’t answers — it’s clarity, courage, and confidence.

When leaders learn to think differently and act decisively through coaching, they don’t just solve current problems — they also build the capacity to face future challenges with wisdom and resilience.

Concluded.

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For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, any claim is lodged, it will be acknowledged and recognized duly.